There are numerous designs and constructions of greeting cards. However decorations other than imprints applied to previously known cards often substantially increase the bulk or thickness of the greeting card. As a result, the envelope for the card must be specially designed to accommodate the attachment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,359 to Bacharach discloses a combination greeting card and frame picture which multiplies the thickness of the greeting card formed by the folded sheets to a dimension several times the combined thickness of the leaves forming the greeting card.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,941 to Halperin discloses a greeting card with a removable and reusable insert in the form of an embroidered emblem. This greeting card construction requires the additional thicknesses of an adhesive bonding layer, a thermal plastic adhesive layer and the embroidered emblem in addition to the layers of sheet material forming the card. Furthermore, the sheet is specially indented by moving thickened portion rearwardly to produce a uniform surface at the face of the card. Therefore, the card requires a substantially larger envelope than would ordinarily be required for a folded sheet forming the card.
Other known greeting cards have been particularly designed to fit within the standard or conventionally-sized envelope designed for the folded sheet forming the greeting card, by forming ornamental features from the leaves forming the card. The leaves include perforated areas which can be partially or wholly punched out from the plane of the leaf. However, the perforated areas cannot be removed from the sheet without destroying the structure and ornamentation of the card. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,616,199, 3,191,328, 3,235,988 and 4,055,690 all disclose separatable portions of greeting cards, which when removed, would adversely affect the structure and ornamentation of the card.
Moreover, when ornamentation is imprinted on the greeting card, it is often discarded along with the card within a short time after the event elapses for which the greeting card was sent. The affixed message has relevance only for a relatively short time period. Thus, manufacturers of cards with previously known constructions and the packaging for cards may be more concerned with simplicity and economic considerations rather than the aesthetic value of artistic presentations on the ornamentation. While the ornamentation may be appreciated by the receiver, the limited life of the imprinted message substantially reduces the enjoyment of the ornamentation regardless of its aesthetic or artistic value to the receiver. Accordingly, the typical life of enjoyment for ornamentation applied to greeting cards is typically very short regardless of the craft or beauty employed in ornamenting the cards and it does not encourage the application of artistry on commercial greeting cards.